Method and apparatus for filling inflatables

ABSTRACT

A light-weight, elongate plastic bag having a first end and a second end is provided for transferring air into inflatable items. One end of said elongate flexible bag has an opening, while the opposite end of said elongate flexible bag has a nozzle or other similar fitting. Additionally, an optional check valve can be provided on said nozzle. Air or other gas can be easily introduced into said elongate bag at low pressure and, thereafter, transferred at a relatively higher pressure into an inflatable item to be filled.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: NONE STATEMENTS AS TO RIGHTSTO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:NONE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a versatile, lightweight and compactapparatus for transferring air into inflatable products, such as airmattresses, flotation devices, and the like.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

Air pumps used to impart air into inflatable products are well known inthe prior art. Such existing air pumps exhibit various sizes andconfigurations. In many cases, air pumps are relatively complicatedmechanical devices used to compress air and direct such compressed airinto inflatable products. Such mechanical pumps can be automated or handoperated. In other cases, such pumps comprise relatively simple flexiblebulbs or other collapsible vessels that can be repeatedly squeezed orcompressed, often via manipulation by an operator's hand or foot, toforce air into an item to be inflated.

Frequently, inflatable products such as air mattresses, rafts, personalflotation devices and the like are designed for use in remote orundeveloped locations. Such products are typically transported to aparticular location and then inflated at such location. For this reason,some prior art air pumps are designed to be portable in order tofacilitate transportation of such pumps to remote locations orenvironments. Such pumps can be battery-powered or manually operated.

Existing prior art pumps have certain limitations, especially when suchpumps are to be used in remote locations. Although many prior art pumpsare designed to be relatively small and portable, such existing pumpsare nonetheless large and bulky enough to take up significant amounts ofspace. When such pumps are to be used in remote locations (such as, forexample, during camping trips), they are typically carried on the personof a user in a back-pack, duffle bag or similar carrying device. In suchcircumstances, space is at a premium. Thus, it is generally advantageousfor such pumps to be as compact and lightweight as possible.

Automated prior art pumps also suffer from such limitations. Even if thepumps themselves are compact and lightweight, power sources for suchpumps are not; in most cases, batteries used to power such automatedpumps are relatively bulky and heavy. Like the pump itself, thesebatteries must be transported to a desired location in a back-pack,duffle bag or similar carrying device. Moreover, if such batteries losetheir charge for any reason, such pumps are ineffective and essentiallyworthless. This can be especially problematic when a pump is to be usedto inflate items in remote and/or undeveloped locations wherereplacement batteries or alternative power sources are not readilyavailable.

Even manually-powered prior art pumps suffer from significantlimitations. Such pumps often comprise relatively simple flexible bulbsor other collapsible vessels that can be repeatedly squeezedor-compressed by an operator. In many cases, items to be blown up mustbe filled with large volumes of air before becoming fully inflated. As aresult, operators must frequently expend significant amounts of energysqueezing such prior art pumps to adequately fill such inflatable items.

Thus, there is a need for a relatively small, lightweight and easilytransportable pump that can be used to impart air into inflatable items.Such pump should be manually actuated, yet not require significanteffort on the part of an operator.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In the preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises alight-weight, elongate plastic bag having a first end and a second end.The first end of said elongate flexible bag has an opening, while thesecond end of said elongate flexible bag has a nozzle or other similarfitting. Additionally, an optional check valve can be provided on saidnozzle.

The present invention is used to transfer air from the elongate bag toan inflatable item, such as an air raft, floatation device, airmattress, pool, beach toy, and/or the like. In the preferred embodiment,the tubular bag can be several feet long, while the diameter of the bagcan be varied to accommodate different sizes of inflatable devices and,more particularly, the volume of air required to fill an inflatableitem. Moreover, the size of the nozzle can be beneficially changed toaccommodate different sizes and/or configurations of input valveslocated on inflatable devices.

In operation, the nozzle of the present invention is inserted into theinput valve of an inflatable item. Thereafter, the bag is unfurled, andair is blown into the open end of said bag. Air molecules from outsidethe bag rush into the bag, filling the bag with air. The opening at theend of the bag is closed - in most cases being crimped by hand—therebytrapping the air inside. The flexible bag is rolled toward the nozzlewhich forces air from the bag out the nozzle and into the inflatableitem to be filled. The process is continued until the inflatable deviceis full of air.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a side perspective view of the inflation device of thepresent invention wherein the elongate flexible bag is folded.

FIG. 2 depicts a detailed perspective view of a nozzle of the inflationdevice of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a side perspective view of the inflation device of thepresent invention wherein the elongate flexible bag is unfurled.

FIG. 4 depicts a side perspective view of air being introduced into theelongate flexible bag of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts a side perspective view of the opening of the flexiblebag of the present invention being crimped.

FIG. 6 depicts a side perspective view of air being transferred from theelongate flexible bag of the present invention into an inflatable item.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In the preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises an elongateflexible bag having a first end and a second end. The first end of saidelongate flexible bag has an opening, while the second end of saidelongate flexible bag has a nozzle or other similar fitting.Additionally, an optional check valve can be provided in connection withsaid nozzle.

FIG. 1 depicts a side perspective view of the inflation device 10 of thepresent invention. Inflation device 10 comprises elongate flexible bag1. Elongate flexible bag 1 of the present invention is ideallylightweight and can be easily folded. When folded, elongate flexible bag1 takes up very little space and can typically fit within the palm ofhand 2. In this configuration, bag 1 can be beneficially stored in apocket, purse, handbag or the like.

FIG. 2 depicts a side view of a nozzle 3 of the present invention. Saidnozzle 3 is attached to one end of elongate flexible bag 1. Nozzle 3 hasoutlet orifice 4. The internal void created by elongate flexible bag 1is connected to nozzle 3 and in communication with outlet orifice 4.

Referring to FIG. 3, elongate flexible bag 1 is unfurled tosubstantially remove all folds or crimps in said bag. In the preferredembodiment, elongate flexible bag can be several feet long, while thedimensions of the bag can be varied to accommodate different sizes ofinflatable devices and, more particularly, the volume of air required tofill an inflatable item. Nozzle 3 is disposed at one end of elongateflexible bag 1, while an opening 5 extends into elongate flexible bag 1at the opposite end of said bag from nozzle 3. Moreover, the size ofnozzle 3 can be beneficially changed to accommodate different sizesand/or configurations of input valves located on inflatable devices.

Nozzle 3, situated at one end of said elongate bag 1, is inserted intoor otherwise connected to the inlet port of an inflatable item to befilled with air. Such inflatable item can be one of any number ofdifferent products including, but not limited to, air mattresses,flotation devices and the like.

FIG. 4 depicts a side perspective view of air being introduced intoopening 5 of elongate flexible bag 1 of the present invention. Elongateflexible bag is held in a convenient position, and air is blown orotherwise introduced into said opening 5 of said elongate flexible bag.In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, opening 5 isrelatively large. Due to the relatively large opening 5 of elongateflexible bag 1, as well as the flexible nature of said bag, relativelylittle effort is required to inflate such bag. As such, one person, suchas user 6 depicted in FIG. 4, can substantially fill elongate flexiblebag 1 with air simply by exhaling normally.

FIG. 5 depicts a side perspective view of opening 5 of elongate flexiblebag 1 of the present invention being crimped using hand 2. Once elongateflexible bag 1 is filled with a desired volume of air, opening 5 ofelongate flexible bag 1 is sealed, typically by crimping the end of bag1 to close opening 5 of bag the bag (such as via hand 2).

FIG. 6 depicts a side perspective view of air being transferred fromelongate flexible bag 1 of the present invention into inflatable item20. Nozzle 3 is connected to an inlet port of said inflatable item 20.In the preferred embodiment, said elongate flexible bag 1 is squeezedfrom one end (having opening 5) toward nozzle 3. Although such rollingcan be accomplished in any number of different ways, hands 2 can rollelongate flexible bag. Such rolling motion forces the air from insidesaid elongate flexible bag through nozzle 3 and into inflatable item 20to be filled with air. An optional check valve prevents air fromescaping back into elongate flexible bag 1. In this manner, elongateflexible bag 1 can be rolled until a desired volume of air istransferred into the inflatable item (that is, until said inflatableitem is sufficiently filled with air).

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, air (or other gas)can be easily introduced into said elongate flexible bag 1 at lowpressure. Such air (or other gas) can then be transferred—at arelatively higher pressure—into an inflatable item to be filled.

The above disclosed invention has a number of particular features whichshould preferably be employed in combination, although each is usefulseparately without departure from the scope of the invention. While thepreferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and describedherein, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise than herein specifically illustrated or described, and thatcertain changes in form and arrangement of parts and the specific mannerof practicing the invention may be made within the underlying idea orprinciples of the invention.

1. An apparatus for filling inflatable items comprising: a. An elongatebag having a first end and a second end; b. A nozzle attached to saidfirst end of said bag; and C. An opening at said second end of said bag.2. A method of filling an inflatable item comprising: a. Unfurling anapparatus comprising: i) an elongate bag constructed of lightweightplastic having a first end and a second end; ii) a nozzle attached tosaid first end of said bag; iii) a check valve attached to said nozzle:and iv) an opening at said second end of said bag; b. Connecting saidnozzle to the input port of an inflatable item; c. Introducing gas intosaid elongate bag through said opening in said bag; d. Substantiallysealing said opening in said bag; and e. Rolling said bag from saidsecond end toward said nozzle.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein saidgas is air.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of introducinggas into said elongate bag through said opening in said bag furthercomprises blowing into said opening of said bag.